Alpine Adventures

I had a little adventure last week, taking some students away for a Geography field trip.

We set off at dawn with the "The Settlers Sing Songs of the Snowy Mountains" blasting away on the bus stereo. That was my idea.
First stop was the Golden Arches in Cooma for breakfast. Unfortunately I did not have time to visit the Vinnies, which is really well stocked. I was only there a few weeks ago, so I managed not to go in. I needed some new fingerless gloves to wear so I went looking for those instead. Gloves from Vinnies are a bit risky, especially if you need to wear them the same day. A lovely lady told us all about the flags and the mosaics at Centennial Park in the main street.

I bought a CD from the information centre - more music to play on the bus. I had heard this country artist called Jay Podger on Australia All Over ( a radio show) singing "Fishing in Eucumbene" so I thought that would  be appropriate for the occasion. Did not realise the other tracks included "I to sing and yodel" and "I'm married to a beer bottle". oops.  The students seemed to like it though, and later on I heard Jay singing from the back of the bus and got all confused until I worked out someone had recorded the music from the stereo to play to her boyfriend later. Haha.

Next stop was Jindabyne. The kids watched "The Man from Snowy River" on the way. Jindabyne turned out to be quite a long stop for me, since I had to take a young lady to the medical centre for an x-ray. Meanwhile the rest of the students went off to Dalgety to have a closer look at the Snowy River. I did not mind missing out on this since I had been to visit this lovely town last year. Here's a lovely picture of this beautiful river. And another.  And here's what it looked like last time I was there.

Back in Jindabyne, we had a coffee and a pastry and looked through the shops. It was a bit pongy, I found out by overhearing a shopkeeper talking loudly on her phone there had been a sewerage incident and the place had literally lived up to its name of "Nuggets Crossing".

I bought a funny hat for the Pickle, who never wears beanies. I wanted her to be snug and warm for her Cubs camp coming up this weekend. It will be minus 3 overnight and she'll be in a tent. Gulp. So I had a brainwave - buy her a funny hat and she will love to wear it! It is polar fleece (she hates itchy wool), bright pink with a long dragon tail complete with fuzzy purple spikes running all the way down to the tassel. It also has ear flaps. Mission was successful, she has worn it to bed every night this week so I am hopeful she'll wear it out in the cold on the camp.

Note skis on wall _ these were inside and out!

Our accommodation was at the rustic Carinya Alpine lodge, basically a school campsite. It has skis screwed to the walls for decoration.
I was lovely and warm in my cabin, and when I woke up in the morning someone was serenading me with "Oh what a beautiful morning" Here's the view from my cabin door, looking down to the river.

reminds me I need to plant some poplars along my bottom fence. Taken sitting on the bed (small cabin!)

The rest of the day was taken up with Geography field trip type stuff. I can't show you too many photos because most of them have students in them, but here's me trying to keep warm at Smiggin's Holes and at Charlottes Pass. My sister helpfully pointed out that I am a little teapot. I am rather round due to wearing all the clothes I brought with me at once 
Here is a beautiful snow gum, the only tree that grows about a certain altitude in this part of the world.

We visited Miss Heidi's Austrian Tea House on the way home, it is well worth a visit if you are ever passing through Cooma (it's on the way out towards Berridale). I had a delicious homemade apple strudel and a coffee so think you could stand your spoon up in it. Here's the view from Miss Heidi's. There used to be a funpark for kiddies there with statues of fairy tale characters, but sadly vandals destroyed it all one day, I found these sad ladies around the back  I have a lot more to say, but I am having trouble getting my photos to load. I will just leave you with the latest item in my shop, a size 4 pinafore which is fully reversible and made out of grey cord and an old Sheridan doona.